All this comes packaged in a landscape of breathtaking beauty. In the Langhe, every hill is crowned with a medieval fortress or stately castle. And nowhere can you find such contorted hills so neatly pinstriped with vines. Charming wine villages like La Morra and Gavi are still populated by locals, not tourists, so you’ll get a true peak at Italian wine culture.

The first half of LAND OF BAROLO takes place in the Langhe, the hills south of the Tanaro river. From our base in Alba, the Langhe’s red-wine capital, we’ll venture into Barolo territory for two days and Barbaresco for one. Here we’ll hear the fascinating history of these wines, intertwined with kings, prime ministers, and marchesi, and come to appreciate these most coveted of Italian wines.

Mid-week we transfer to southeast Piedmont, home of Gavi di Gavi wine. Here you’ll stay at a winery: Villa Sparina has turned its old agricultural buildings into an elegant 4-star hotel overlooking the vineyards. A highlight of the tour is a visit to our home in the village of Varinella (pop. 252), one hill away from Gavi. In our medieval townhouse, once owned by the great-grandmother of company cofounder Claudio Bisio, you’ll have a cooking lesson and raid our cellar for some aged Piedmont wines.

Being a native of Gavi, Claudio knows Piedmont from the inside out. What’s more, we’ve spent a decade refining LAND OF BAROLO, one of the company’s first tours. So over the years, we’ve come to know the winemakers like family. And indeed, most of Piedmont’s wineries are small, family-run operations, so our tastings are always intimate, familial, and fun.